Francois Hollande gives up being a Presidential Candidate

End of suspense! President Francois Hollande spoke live on Thursday 1st December at 8 pm from the Elysée to announce that he would not run for a second term in the presidential election of 2017.

While the opening of the period for applications for the primary of the left was launched by PS on Thursday 1st December, Francois Hollande announced he would not seek a second term in the presidential election 2017. “In the coming months, my only duty is to continue to lead the country, the one you told me to in 2012”, he said.

“Aware of the risks of an approach that does not gather”

“Today I am aware of the risks that would pose an approach, mine, who does not gather much about, so I decided not to be a candidate in the presidential election”, he has said.

“The major commitment that I made to you was to reduce unemployment (…) The results arrived later than I had announced it, I agree, but they are there” , explained the outgoing President. “Since May 2012 (…) I acted with the governments of Jean-Marc Ayrault and Manuel Valls to redress France and to be fairer. Today, when I am speaking, public accounts are cleaned up, Social Security is in balance and the country’s debt was preserved”, argued the head of state.

Hollande also mentioned a “social model strengthened”, citing the retirement lowered to 60 years for long careers and the establishment of a compulsory mutual for employees. The president mentioned the signing of the global climate agreement at the COP21 in Paris in December 2015 and “transparency” that has “imposed on all elected” .

A first in the Fifth Republic

This is the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic that a president renounces the challenge of standing for a candidate of a second term.

Quickly unpopular after his accession to the Elysee in May 2012, Mr. Hollande was finally agreed with the opinion of unfavorable polls for the presidential: 9, 8 or 7%, according to published opinion polls this week if the first round of presidential elections was held this weekend. With a humiliating fifth place behind François Fillon, Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron and Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

François Hollande was credited with less than 10% in the polls for the first round of the presidential election. | Visactu

A term marked by attacks

Its mandate, marked by several military operations abroad (Mali, Central African Republic, Iraq, Syria) was also one of the worst attacks in France since the Liberation (238 dead): Charlie Hebdo, 13th November in Paris and Saint-Denis, Nice on 14th July.

Forced to change his Prime Minister Ayrault, to Mr Valls in March 2014, after a large defeat in local elections, Hollande also met strong opposition in his own camp, including a protest of several months in 2016 against Bill on work, adopted at the Assembly by Article 49-3.

During his speech, Hollande admitted that he had “one regret”, having proposed the forfeiture of nationality. François Fillon program “undermines” the French social model also considered the head of state during his speech.

Now Manuel Valls candidate?

Manuel Valls, who served many times to be ready to face the right for president, should contribute to the primary of the organized left in late January.

Former ministers of Mr. Hollande, Arnaud Montebourg and Benoît Hamon, PS Senator Marie-Noëlle Lienemann, the Green MP François de Rugy and the chairman of the Democratic Front Jean-Luc Bennahmias are already candidates. The deadline for applications is scheduled for December 15th.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Left Party), which has the support of the Communist Party, and Yannick Jadot, nominee after the primary Europe Ecology-Greens (EELV), candidates are left without forget the former minister Emmanuel Macron (En Marche!).

Hollande calls for a collective reaction left

For the Right, it already has its champion: François Fillon. Former prime minister of Mr Sarkozy has trounced its former chairman, and the favorite in the polls Alain Juppe, at the primary right, which attracted up to 4.4 million voters on Sunday. Since his appointment, Mr. Fillon is ahead in the polls of the president of the National Front, Marine Le Pen, regularly announced to be in the second round.

On the left, Hollande called for “a collective reaction involving all progressives who must unite” . “I do not want France to be exposed to an adventure that would be costly” , he has said.